Summer Lovin'
by Dustbunny3
Summary: [Tomika/Summer] In which Tomika wrote Summer a song but didn't count on Summer actually realizing it.


A/N: It's been years since I saw this movie, so I don't know where this came from. I know even less where the two thousand or so words that I lost when my computer blipped came from, but never mind those. They're gone forever, after all, ahaha… ha. Anyway, here's this. Originally posted on Tumblr for Femslash February.  
...

Tomika doesn't make it halfway across the school yard before Summer is in front of her, hands on her hips and expression intense but unreadable.

"I looked up the lyrics to that song you wrote," Summer says, voice unusually soft. Then, like there might be any confusion, "The one that you showed me yesterday, that you sang at practice."

She pauses like she expects Tomika to deny ever having written a song, never mind one that she sang yesterday, but Tomika doesn't say anything. She doesn't know what to say, really, even though she rehearsed a bunch of different possibilities for all the weeks that she worked on the song. Still, she couldn't come up with anything yesterday— not when she showed Summer the lyrics that she'd written up, not when Summer showed off the paper to the rest of the class like it was a new baby, not when Summer praised her performance after practice— and she hadn't even thought of saying anything today. After a few seconds of silence from Tomika, Summer goes on.

"That whole song was one like long reference to poems by Sappho. And it's about loving summer." There's another pause, her gaze going over Tomika's face like seeking the denial that still doesn't come. "You wrote that song to_me_. And sang it to _me_. Because _you have a crush on me_."

Her tone of voice is the one she usually uses for big pronouncements, but she's still speaking quietly so as not to be overheard. Tomika, for her part, still isn't sure what to say. Part of her wants to run away, but that would be like saying that Summer is wrong.

"You have a crush on me," Summer repeats. "_Don't_ you?"

It sounds sort of like it's supposed to be a demand. It sounds mostly like a plea, unsure in a way that Tomika has never known Summer to be. Tomika's heart pounds and she swallows thickly. Well, she'd wanted something to say and now she has it.

"Yeah, I do," she says, just like that. She's nervous, but also relieved. Even though she isn't really shy anymore, she's still pretty quiet when she isn't singing. Being quiet, she's found, is really different from being afraid to speak. The last couple weeks did a lot to remind her how much she doesn't like being afraid to speak. She's never liked keeping secrets either, maybe because most of the secrets she's ever had have been about being unhappy. Finally telling Summer about her crush is like a weight off her shoulders, and she stands at a height she hadn't realized she missed.

Meanwhile, Summer is staring at her with that look she gets when she thinks someone might be trying to pull something over on her— sort of blank, like she doesn't know what she's supposed to be feeling yet. But she must see something that reassures her, because she nods and straightens up, and it's only then that Tomika realizes that Summer was carrying herself in the same defensive hunch. She doesn't really have time to think about it before Summer thrusts one hand out between them.

After a brief hesitation, Tomika reaches out and gives Summer's hand a single firm pump. Summer would be the sort of person to reject someone with a handshake, she decides. Civil and businesslike— it's better than being yelled at, she guesses. She's completely confused when Summer makes a wordless, irritated noise and sort of flails, like she's so angry she can't contain herself. Tomika has just braced herself to deal with some yelling after all when Summer reaches out the same hand again, this time grabbing Tomika's own.

"Are you walking me to class or not?" Summer demands, then pulls Tomika along without waiting for an answer. "I can't believe you looked up all that stuff to write me a love ballad but you still don't know anything about being a proper girlfriend. I'll lend you my notes later, but you better make your own copy."

"Okay," Tomika says, because she doesn't know what else to say. The situation is just starting to catch up with her, or maybe she's just starting to catch up with it. Whichever it is, she hopes that they're in sync soon, because she's pretty sure she really likes this situation.

As they walk, Tomika notices they've attracted attention, mostly from their own classmates. Summer sees them, too, and steps so that she's walking just a little closer to Tomika than before, chin held up high. Tomika can't help but to smile, and wiggles her fingers until they lace with Summer's. As they join up with their friends, they find themselves met with curiosity and even confusion, but no hostility. Summer takes every question in stride and Tomika follows her lead. She's still quiet, for the most part, but not out of fear of speaking.


End file.
